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Q: Some of the ethanol plants in my area have cut production and distillers' grains supply is running tight. We have also experienced times when the plant shut down because of mechanical problems, and we were scrambling to find distillers' grains so we didn't have to dramatically change the ration. What are some ways a feedlot can manage a shortage of distillers' grains without negatively affecting the cattle?

A: One method that has been employed by several feedlots is to source distillers' grains from more than one plant. The idea here is that if there is a shutdown of one plant for whatever reason, you will still have source for distillers' grains from the other plants. One issue with this type of an approach is that the distillers' grains from each plant may have different nutrient composition, and this variability in the day to day ration composition can negatively affect cattle performance. If you employ this method you should ensure that the plants produce distillers' grains using the same cereal grain (i.e. all use corn or all use milo), and that at least the fat, sulfur, protein, and dry matter content of the distillers' grains are similar between the ethanol plants that you are using. If you formulate diets for a level of nutrients that is different than what is delivered in the ration can lead to issues with nutrient deficiencies or nutrient over-feeding. From limited practical experience, I have seen 30% distillers' grains replaced with corn or wet corn gluten feed for a few days with no observed negative impacts. In these scenarios however, it is my opinion that wet corn gluten feed is a much safer option. There is the potential for the shortage to occur in conjunction with inclimate weather and if corn is used to replace the distillers' grains this could lead to problems. One possible option that few if any feedlots employ is on-sight storage of a few days supply of distillers' grains. If a feedlot is using dried distillers' grains, they could store a few days supply on-site. Similarly, a feedlot using wet distillers' grains could replace it with dried distillers' grains for a few days in the event of a shortage. However, care needs to be taken to ensure that proper adjustments in as-fed amounts of ingredients in the ration are made to account for differences in dry matter content of the two types of distillers' grains. There has been some work conducted at the University of Nebraska looking at storing wet distillers' grains mixed with low quality forages like corn stalk, wheat straw, or grass hay. Theoretically, one could mix the roughage and wet distiller's grains at a ratio that allows a producer to just put the mix in at a certain level to provide the roughage and distillers' grains for the ration. There are some questions about the value of the roughage in the mix due to physical changes that occur when the roughage soaks up water from the distillers' grains during storage. In other words, some feel that the roughage may lose some of its coarseness or "scratch factor", a characteristic of roughages that is important for maintaining a healthy rumen wall. This method hasn't been tested in a feedlot setting that I am aware of, so careful consideration would need to be given if this methodology is employed. In summary, there are some ways of dealing with a potential distillers' grains shortage, but individual circumstances with determine whether the "insurance" against a shortage provided by any method is worth the costs of storage or managing multiple distillers' grains sources.